Bangladesh: Fresh violence after student leader's murder; media houses burned
What's the story
Violent protests have erupted across Bangladesh following the death of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The 32-year-old, who was shot in Dhaka last Friday while campaigning for the upcoming general elections, died in Singapore during treatment. Hadi was a prominent figure in the 2024 student uprising that led to the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
Unrest spreads
Protests and violence follow Hadi's assassination
Following his deaths, thousands of demonstrators flocked to the streets of Dhaka to demand that his killers be arrested. The protests soon spread to other cities including Chittagong and Rajshahi. Protesters torched buildings of major media houses like The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Dhaka. In Rajshahi, they set fire to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence. The unrest has also seen anti-India slogans being raised outside the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong.
Twitter Post
Video shows unrest
#BREAKING: Angry students set fire, vandalized Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka. This is the ancestral place of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. This location was attacked at least three times before and completely gutted and ransacked. Reports of attacks on Awami League offices across Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/5uCxZcN02m
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) December 18, 2025
Official response
Bangladesh's interim leader condemns assassination
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus condemned Hadi's assassination, calling it a planned attack by a powerful syndicate. He said the attack was part of a wider conspiracy to derail the upcoming national election and the referendum. "Under no circumstances will we allow such a conspiracy to succeed." The interim government has declared Saturday a day of national mourning for Hadi, with flags at half-mast and prayers across the country.
Diplomatic tensions
India protests against threats to its High Commission
The turmoil comes after fresh anti-India protests earlier this week. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators carrying the flag "July Oikya" (July Unity) marched toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, shouting anti-India slogans and demanding Hasina's return. Amid the unrest, India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner Muhammad Riaz Hamidullah to protest threats made against its High Commission. The summons came after a politician threatened to isolate the north-eastern states from India and that Dhaka would shelter forces hostile to Delhi.
Political landscape
Bangladesh's interim government and upcoming elections
Since August 2024, Bangladesh has been run by an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Yunus after Hasina fled to India. The country is set to hold national elections on February 12. Hadi was a candidate in these polls, which are the first since the 2024 student-led uprising. He was a spokesperson for Inqilab Mancha, a political platform that emerged from the student protest movement of last year.